Norway says team will be replaced by Russia for 2027 World Juniors
The first casualty of a recent court ruling has become official.
In a release on Sunday, the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association announced that its national junior team has been officially removed from the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. Russia will be taking their place at the upcoming event in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.
Petter Salsten, the NIHA’s Secretary General, stated the the federation is still waiting for more information from the IIHF.
“We are aware of the status and the measures the IIHF feels compelled to take, and will await further information from the IIHF in the coming days,” Salsten said in a translated statement. “We have previously made it clear where we stand on the issue of Russia’s participation, where we believe they should not be able to participate internationally as long as the war in Ukraine continues. This also clearly shows all the practical challenges and immediate consequences for everyone involved when countries are to be reinstated immediately.”
Earlier this month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Russia must be allowed to participate in IIHF tournaments, ending the latter organization’s over four-year-ban. The CAS cited that the IIHF didn’t provide enough evidence to keep Russia from competing. The IIHF has stated its displeasure with the decision, with many nations, including Finland, Sweden and Norway, stating that they will refuse to play Russia in international games.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney stated that Russia will not be allowed to come to the World Juniors next month, something that Salsten hopes could lead to a change in Norwegian team’s fate.
The authorities in Canada have made it clear that Russian players will not be granted visas to participate in the Junior World Championships,” Salsten said. “In addition, several of the participating countries have said that they will not participate, or face Russia, if they are faced with them in the championship. This makes us hope that the last word has not been said about our participation in Canada in December.”
Norway was slated to play in Group B at the World Juniors, taking on the likes of Czechia, Switzerland, Latvia and host Canada. However, if the decision holds, they will be demoted to the D1A WJC, which takes place in Hungary from Dec. 6-12.
Norway earned promotion to the top division of the World Juniors after winning gold at the D1A championship last year.